As a parent, it’s natural to be concerned about your baby’s health and development. Recent research shows that babies are unable to get sufficient vitamin D through breastmilk which has a lot of parents worried. Vitamin D plays a key role in early development as it is needed for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus which means that it directly affects bone formation. We get vitamin D when our skin is exposed to sunlight, so you might think that the simplest way to increase your baby’s vitamin D levels is to expose them to sunlight. However, when babies are born, their skin contains very little melanin – the pigment that gives skin its color and provides protection from the sun. It can take over six months for melanin to develop so if your baby is exposed to sunlight in the first few months, their delicate skin can get damaged by the sun’s harmful UV rays. This is why parents are advised to keep their babies out of direct sunlight for at least the first six months.
Why Babies Need Sunscreen
Some parents believe that only adults need sunscreen but this could not be further from the truth. Research clearly shows that the damage from exposure to UV rays is cumulative which means that the damage that occurs during your child’s early years will affect them later on in life. UV rays are harmful because they damage the DNA in skin cells.
Your baby’s body can repair some of this damage but not all of it; so, in later years, the unrepaired damage can trigger cell mutations that can lead to skin cancers. Baby sunscreens protect your baby from the harmful rays of the sun. There are plenty of sunscreens in the market so to make your task easier, you can compare the most effective baby sunscreens that have been vetted by dermatologists to choose one that suits your baby.
Why Baby Sunscreens are Safe for Your Child
There are plenty of misconceptions surrounding sunscreens so it’s important to separate the facts from the myths. It’s true that some sunscreens manufactured for adults contain ingredients that are not safe for babies. However, good baby sunscreens do not contain these ingredients. There are two types of sunscreens: chemical-based sunscreens and mineral-based sunscreens. Baby sunscreens are mineral-based and contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide which have been categorized by the FDA as GRASE (generally recognized as safe and effective). These minerals form a protective layer on your baby’s skin to shield it from the sun. On the other hand, chemical-based sunscreens that are often used by adults contain ingredients such as avobenzone, oxybenzone, and octocrylene which are not categorized as GRASE ingredients. These ingredients are absorbed by the skin and enter the bloodstream which is why they should never be used for babies.
Why Sunscreen does not cause Vitamin D Deficiency
Exposure to UVB rays causes our bodies to produce vitamin D. Since sunscreen blocks these rays, it’s natural to assume that using sunscreen would cause vitamin D deficiency.
However, clinical studies have not linked everyday sunscreen use to vitamin D insufficiency. This is because we require only a little sunlight to meet our vitamin D requirements. Even if they are used perfectly, sunscreens cannot completely block all UV rays – an SPF of 30 still filters out 97 percent of UV rays. Furthermore, even if your little one is playing in the shade outside, they will still produce vitamin D because of scattered (indirect) UVB rays.
Why Breastmilk alone does not provide enough Vitamin D
Breast milk alone does not provide infants with enough vitamin D which is why the guidelines for Vitamin D by AAP (The American Academy of Pediatrics) now include babies beginning soon after birth. According to AAP guidelines, babies need a minimum daily intake of 400 IU of vitamin D. However, breast milk typically contains only 5-80 IU per liter of vitamin D – babies drink less than a liter of breast milk a day which means that it’s unlikely that they get sufficient vitamin D. If you are not comfortable providing a vitamin D supplement directly to your baby, you can talk to your health care provider about a high-dose supplement for you. This will increase your levels of vitamin D and subsequently increase the level of vitamin D in your breast milk.